"And may not humblest, meekest, Christian's Mind / Investigate the good of all Mankind? / Bring Truth and Justice to their Judgment's test, / And try, by Reason's balance what weighs best?"
— Woodhouse, James (bap. 1735, d. 1820)
Work Title
Date
1814, 1816, 1896
Metaphor
"And may not humblest, meekest, Christian's Mind / Investigate the good of all Mankind? / Bring Truth and Justice to their Judgment's test, / And try, by Reason's balance what weighs best?"
Metaphor in Context
But must Man Sense and Reason, both, resign?
Deem Demons--Brutes--or Ideots--divine?
See their own Understanding void of sight,
And think such Doctrines, such rash Dogmas, right?
Will not cool Reason--will not Common-sense,
Grant such Impostures give profound offence?
And may not humblest, meekest, Christian's Mind
Investigate the good of all Mankind?
Bring Truth and Justice to their Judgment's test,
And try, by Reason's balance what weighs best?
Their Saviour's doctrines, and clear sentence, trust,
Ordaining what is righteous; what is just;
And while they yield all mortal Men their due,
Maintain integrity in all that's true?
Ought not their simple, their unbiass'd Souls,
Enquire whence Magistrates derive Controuls;
And, with discriminations clear, and nice,
Declare that Virtue's Virtue, Vice is Vice?
With wise distinction, word, and action, trace
That springs from Nature, or that grows from Grace;
Pronouncing selfish Tyrant's Satan's Tools;
Kings crafty Foxes, Hypocrites, or Fools?
Sure they may ask whence Kings derive their dow'r,
From Christ's decree, or from the People's pow'r--
Whether their proud Prerogative was giv'n,
Thro' some pure Seraph, sent express from Heav'n,
Or by some compact, clearly understood
As meant to govern Men for mutual good--
But should an Angel Documents produce
To sanction Villainy, or vile Abuse,
Christians could ne'er surmise it made above,
Where all is Wisdom--Harmony--and Love;
But some base instrument from Fiends below,
To further Discord--Strife--and War--and Woe!
Deem Demons--Brutes--or Ideots--divine?
See their own Understanding void of sight,
And think such Doctrines, such rash Dogmas, right?
Will not cool Reason--will not Common-sense,
Grant such Impostures give profound offence?
And may not humblest, meekest, Christian's Mind
Investigate the good of all Mankind?
Bring Truth and Justice to their Judgment's test,
And try, by Reason's balance what weighs best?
Their Saviour's doctrines, and clear sentence, trust,
Ordaining what is righteous; what is just;
And while they yield all mortal Men their due,
Maintain integrity in all that's true?
Ought not their simple, their unbiass'd Souls,
Enquire whence Magistrates derive Controuls;
And, with discriminations clear, and nice,
Declare that Virtue's Virtue, Vice is Vice?
With wise distinction, word, and action, trace
That springs from Nature, or that grows from Grace;
Pronouncing selfish Tyrant's Satan's Tools;
Kings crafty Foxes, Hypocrites, or Fools?
Sure they may ask whence Kings derive their dow'r,
From Christ's decree, or from the People's pow'r--
Whether their proud Prerogative was giv'n,
Thro' some pure Seraph, sent express from Heav'n,
Or by some compact, clearly understood
As meant to govern Men for mutual good--
But should an Angel Documents produce
To sanction Villainy, or vile Abuse,
Christians could ne'er surmise it made above,
Where all is Wisdom--Harmony--and Love;
But some base instrument from Fiends below,
To further Discord--Strife--and War--and Woe!
Categories
Provenance
Searching "reason" and "balance" in HDIS (Poetry)
Citation
Poem first published in its entirety in 1896. The 1814 first edition receives notice in The New Monthly Magazine (March 1815); the poem was written "in the last century" (w. 1795-1820?).
Text from The Life and Poetical Works of James Woodhouse, ed. R. I. Woodhouse, 2 vols. (London: The Leadenhall Press, 1896). <Link to Hathi Trust> <Link to LION>
Text from The Life and Poetical Works of James Woodhouse, ed. R. I. Woodhouse, 2 vols. (London: The Leadenhall Press, 1896). <Link to Hathi Trust> <Link to LION>
Date of Entry
12/11/2006
